Scotland are one home win away from securing a place in next year’s World Cup despite suffering a 3-2 defeat by Greece on Saturday, with Denmark’s 2-2 draw with Belarus in the other Group C game offering a lifeline and setting up a blockbuster clash with the Danes tomorrow.
Denmark top the group with 11 points after five games. Scotland, who could not find an equalizer even though they clawed back from three goals down, are second with 10 points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.
While a first-place finish clinches an automatic spot in next year’s finals in the US, Mexico and Canada, Saturday’s result guaranteed Scotland at least a qualifying playoff spot.
Photo: AP
Already-eliminated Greece looked poised to hand their visitors a thorough thrashing, with goals from Tasos Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis, but Scotland’s Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie pulled goals back to set up a breathtaking final few minutes.
After the final whistle blew, the Scottish players and staff peered at their phones for updates from the Belarus-Denmark match during an agonizing final few minutes.
“That’s what we wanted [to still have a chance of qualifying automatically],” Scotland captain Andy Robertson told the BBC.
Photo: AP
“We cannot concede three goals, that’s hugely disappointing. We had eight or nine really big chances so we got the attacking bit right tonight,” he said. “Winner takes all on Tuesday, that’s all we could ask for. People were writing us off from the start of the group now we’ve got a shoot-out to win the group and it’s all to play for on Tuesday.”
Bakasetas scored in the seventh minute in a nightmare start for Scotland. John Souttar misjudged a ball, allowing Vangelis Pavlidis to take a shot that Craig Gordon saved, but Bakasetas was there to fire home the rebound.
Karetsas added a second goal in the 57th minute, and Tzolis fired in a third in the 63rd — and it seemed like the rout was on.
Gannon-Doak breathed some hope into Steve Clarke’s side in the 65th minute when John McGinn sent in a low cross that the 20-year-old finished from close range for his first Scotland goal.
Christie added a second five minutes later when he nodded home Andy Robertson’s gorgeous cross from the left.
Scotland’s “Tartan Army” fans in Athens also had their eyes on the other Group C game, and erupted into cheers when Belarus scored.
“Fans cheering [when we were] at 3-1 down was strange,” Robertson said.
Scott McTominay was one of several Scottish players who squandered excellent chances. He fired a shot off the crossbar in the first half, and had a brilliant shot stopped by the lunging foot of Odysseas Vlachodimos late in the game.
“This group of players are a credit to themselves and their country because they didn’t give up,” Clarke said. “They got the goal back, got to 3-2 and had chances to get the equalizer.”
“Some people might be happy with the improved performance, but I’m disappointed with the result. We got a lucky break, Belarus got a result in Denmark and that gives us everything to play for on Tuesday,” he said.
“It’s nice that [Belarus] have done us a favor,” he added.
In Tbilisi, Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice as Spain maintained their perfect form in World Cup qualifying with a 4-0 win on Saturday.
The European champion is poised to wrap up a spot in the finals when it meets Turkey in its last qualifier tomorrow.
Spain leads Group E by three points over Turkey, which beat Bulgaria 2-0 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Belgium was held to a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan and missed a chance to qualify for the tournament.
Belgium leads Group J with two points over North Macedonia. Rudi Garcia’s side can still advance with a win over Liechtenstein in their final qualifier tomorrow.
Also in Group J, Jordan James scored as Wales won 1-0 at Liechtenstein.
Wales and North Macedonia are tied on 13 points in joint second place before they face-off tomorrow.
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